Meatless Monday: Cheesy stuffed shells with carrots and mushrooms

Patricia Conte has a background in marketing communications and works as an independent writer. In 2010, she was given the opportunity to combine her love of writing and food when she started as a contributing writer for the Food channel...

The right stuff!

These pasta shells are filled with the right stuff, making them perfect for a Meatless Monday meal!

You can use a variety of tasty ingredients to pack into stuffed shells, but spinach is often a staple for many vegetarian stuffed shells recipes. This Meatless Monday recipe for cheesy stuffed shells with carrots and mushrooms includes a few veggies you might not normally use, giving this dish a nice change of pace. The melted, creamy cheese is the perfect vehicle for the carrots and mushrooms.

Cheesy stuffed shells with carrots and mushrooms recipe

Serves 6

Ingredients:

20 jumbo pasta shells

1/3 cup shredded carrots

1/3 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, plus extra for topping

2/3 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup milk (you may need a bit more)

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups prepared tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried oregano

Aluminum foil

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Boil the pasta shells according to the package directions until almost done. Drain and separate the shells when finished.

Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a saute pan, over medium heat. When hot, add the carrots and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for another minute or so. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ricotta and mozzarella cheeses, along with the salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano and the milk. Combine until smooth.

Add the carrot and mushroom mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine. You may need to add a bit more milk to thin out the mixture. If so, add a little at a time.

Spread about 3 tablespoons of the pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

Carefully spoon the cheese mixture into each shell until full, then place them in the baking dish close to each other.

Spoon the tomato sauce over the shells, then add a bit more of the mozzarella cheese on top.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes, removing the foil during the last 5 minutes of cooking. The cheese should be melted and the sauce will be bubbly.